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Saturday, August 30, 2014

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews, check it out and sign up here

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

Bought, Borrowed, & Bagged is a weekly meme, hosted by TalkSupe, where I share with you the books I have bought, borrowed, or bagged. Link up with me here.

My week: Back is killing me, I semi fell down stairs and having some behavior issues with my little girl. But I have started an intense bible study and it has been wonderful to get in depth and the convos in class.

What are you reading? Any of my books new to you or have you read any of my books? If so, what did you think?
Also, feel free to link up your blog and mailbox post.

When not immersed in books — be it writing or
reading them — Ainat can usually be found nestling a cup of coffee in the
company of her husband and twins.

A former fast-food employee, T-shirt seller, and
glorified secretary, Ainat eventually found herself with Bachelor’s and LL.M.
degrees and working as a lawyer.

A few years later, listening to a catchy pop song
about dream fulfillment, Ainat decided to buy a clunky little laptop and get to
work. Ten novels and a much better laptop later, she came to the realization
that hitting the double-digit mark meant it was time to publish and start
consuming coffee (though not necessarily in that order).

When she isn’t writing, editing, or mothering,
Ainat enjoys reading promiscuously, watching political dramas and sci-fi
series, and taking embarrassing memos-to-self complete with accents and
dramatic pauses that should never be unleashed, ever.

The Twitter version: tell us about your
book in 140 characters or less.

Out of Sync: A
magical misfit faces her perilous coven trials, falls in love and nearly dies
more times than seems polite to mention.

How did you get the idea for the story?

The idea for
Out of Sync came out of a curious mental image (courtesy of my strange
imagination) of a grandmother making a spectacular entrance, emerging from the
center of her granddaughter’s bed. The granddaughter, Bree, was sitting in her
armchair, studying.

This image
wouldn’t leave me. I was writing a much darker story at the time, and when I
came up for air, I yearned for something lighter. I began seeing the humor in
Bree’s world; before long, her sarcastic, witty tone colored my own, and I
embraced it — and her — wholeheartedly.

The scene was
ultimately — and wisely — edited out of the novel, though its spirit remains.

Which character would you most/least like
to have dinner with?

From my book:
If you take the ‘dinner’ portion out of the equation, then Lee, the vampire,
because of his dark and twisted sense of humor that’s sometimes inappropriate.

If I can
choose any character from any book or TV series, I would love to have dinner
with Kerry Washington’s character from the TV show Scandal, Parry, the Devil
from Piers Anthony’s “Incarnations of Immortality” series, and George R. R.
Martin’s Tyrion. I think the combination will make for some interesting dinner
conversation.

Do you have any other works in progress?
Any teasers or release dates?

Out of Breath (the second book of this
series), will be released by the end of February 2015. The tagline reads: Are
you sure you want to know?

I would give you a sneak peek into the
back blurb, but seeing as it contains a spoiler for the first book, I won’t;
I’m pretty sure that sort of behavior can get you killed.

I have two
more books lined up to be professionally edited; the first will be available by
Spring 2015, and the second will become available by early 2016.

I will, however,
share with you the tagline for the latter of the two: Death — it’s more of a
job than a calling.

Other than
that, I have three more novels that are waiting their turn in the editing
queue, promising to keep me busy for the near future.

What book(s) is your book’s “cousin”?
(Similar kind of read, set-up or style)

Being a mom, a
wife and a full-time writer, I try to find untapped moments to read or listen
to books. I usually sneak in a couple of minutes of listening while driving, or
on my coffee breaks, and have been known to try to stretch out the night with
my Kindle before going to sleep.

If a fairy
godmother told you could be put into the world of your favorite book for 24
hours, which book would you pick and why?

Early Harry
Potter, though that would probably entail going to Hogwarts to get a grip on
the whole magic thing, then tutoring under Snape … so, nix that idea. I want a
world in which I have access to powers without the requirement of schooling for
eight years; given that technology feels like magic to me (I still marvel at my
iPhone), then perhaps my best bet is going with a technologically advanced
society with a sense of humor, which naturally means, Douglas
Adam’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, but only if I can hitch a ride
with Zaphod Beeblebrox. Otherwise I might look daft carrying around a towel.

Do you need anything to write (music,
coffee, etc)? Are there any songs on your playlist- songs that inspired you or
that were playing while you wrote?

I am fueled by
coffee and (usually) require silence to write. As a mother of twins, this is
achieved with careful planning and a wonderful support system (i.e., my
mother-in-law and mom).

However, there were moments in which I felt I
needed music to correctly capture the way I was feeling; to explore and explain
the sensations that I was experiencing so I could correctly translate them to
the page. For example, there’s a scene in the book in which Bree lets go of her
thoughts, fears and doubts by dancing; it allows her to feel connected — not
only to the people dancing beside her, but also to feel a part of something
greater. I listened to different songs during the writing of this scene, and
although I can’t pinpoint the exact ones, I will try to re-capture the essence
of what I experienced through sound: Far East Movement’s “Like a
G6”, Pitbull ft.
Ne-Yo, Afrojack, Nayer in “Give me Everything”.

Music inspired me when I needed it most; I was
working on the blurb for the book — having quite a difficult time with it to be
honest — and decided to go out for a drive and clear my head for a little bit.
Once I listened to Kelly Clarkson’s “People Like Us” I experienced an “a-ha moment”: the center of
the story is Bree’s experiences of being a misfit and finding her people.

I remember the sensation of finding my people when I entered the seventh
grade; people who got my sense of humor, who enjoyed reading / watching sci-fi
and accepted me for who I was.

Bree goes through an internal journey throughout Out of Sync and its sequel, Out of Breath, in which she finds her
own voice and stops listening to other people’s opinion of who she is and what
she’s capable of. I feel as if Katy Perry’s song “Roar”
captures the same feeling.

If you could have any superpower what
would you choose?

I already fly
in my dreams, without the dubious benefit of adding bugs to my diet. So, I
think I would go with an ability that I believe I saw in the 1984 movie “Starman,” which depicted an alien reading an entire book in
seconds, by placing his hand on its cover. Add to that the ability to
understand it, and if at all possible, remembering it for later use, and it
would be the ultimate superpower.

Vanilla or chocolate? Both, melted into
yummy gooiness in the microwave. Before you ‘eww’ all over yourself, please
note that this trait has been passed down to the next generation (my son)
without any prior influence (I caught him stirring his ice cream until it
reached the right consistency) — ergo, it’s in the genes, and therefore should
be exempt of any and all prejudices.

Video or Board Games? Board games. I’m
currently learning how to play one of my husband’s favorite games growing up,
“Hero Quest” with the kids, and am failing spectacularly.

Summer or Winter? Spring or Fall; I
can’t function without an air conditioner, and would much rather linger about
in the seasons that don’t require binding myself to one for dear life.

Edward or Jacob? Neither; Jacob is a
great guy, but can you really see yourself with someone you’re not in love
with? And Edward … well, I never liked the idea of someone watching me sleep;
especially since drool will probably be involved, and there’s a good chance of
unappealing mouth positioning. Also, it’s creepy, and slightly stalker-ish. In
any case, I’m anemic enough without “donating” my blood to interested parties
who suffer from self-control issues.

Hockey or soccer? Neither; I vote for
“seldom use of an elliptical machine, while actively watching TV”. I can’t
envision kicking a ball while multi-tasking; I’ll probably end up tearing some
ligament I’ve never heard of, a bad case of sunburn, and in desperate need of
two weeks of bed rest, none of which are compatible with raising twins.

Ebook or paper? Ebook, for those
late-night readings, when my eyes are so sore after a day of gazing at the
computer screen, and require an adjustment of the font size to blind-bat large.
That being said, there is something special about taking a book off the shelf,
holding it and leafing through its pages for a quick re-acquaintance; it
somehow feels a little more…yours than an e-book does. At least, that’s what I
tell myself when I look at my overflowing bookshelves, or when I browse the aisles
of a bookstore and want to ‘adopt’ more books than my hands can carry.

Salty or sweet? Salty. I’ve been known
to eat pickles with my chocolate cake.

Beach or mountains? Beach, with a side
of grapes, please.

Phone call or email? Email, definitely.
I express myself much better on page than I do live. Some people can achieve
witty-comeback status on the fly, but unfortunately I’m not one of those people
(despite repeated attempts to outwit my big sister, who is a natural).

Early bird or night owl? Night owl
masquerading as an early bird. Getting caught ‘lounging about’ in bed after ten
a.m. on a Saturday was frowned upon in my parent’s house, and now I’m married
to a self-proclaimed night owl who comes from a long tradition of waking up
after noon and staying up late; very
late.

Dog or cat? Both, though I am more of a
cat person. Regretfully allergic after living with both species.

Messy or neat? Neat, which helped me
considerably throughout my Bachelor’s and LL.M. law degrees. Color-coded tags,
mind-maps and remarks scribbled in the sidelines have crossed over to my
writing career.

Ninjas or pirates? Ninjas, for their
skill and speed, though, admittedly, I probably need some of the pirate’s
audacity as well.

-$5 Amazon gift card and 5 ebooks Out of Sync (INT)
-Fill out Rafflecopter to enter
-Ends on 9/27/2014 11:59 pm EST
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*If, for whatever reason, the Rafflecopter widget does not appear, you can click on the link where it says rafflecopter giveaway and it will show up, sorry for the inconvenience.

Friday, August 29, 2014

In this breathless story of impossible love, perfection comes at a deadly cost.
For Davis Morrow, perfection is a daily reality. Like all Priors, Davis has spent her whole life primed to be smarter, stronger, and more graceful than the lowly Imperfects, or “Imps.” A fiercely ambitious ballerina, Davis is only a few weeks away from qualifying for the Olympiads and finally living up to her mother’s legacy when she meets Cole, a mysterious boy who leaves her with more questions each time he disappears.
Davis has no idea that Cole has his own agenda, or that he’s a rising star in the FEUDS, an underground fighting ring where Priors gamble on Imps. Cole has every reason to hate Davis—her father’s campaign hinges on the total segregation of the Imps and Priors—but despite his best efforts, Cole finds himself as drawn to Davis as she is to him.
Then Narxis, a deadly virus, takes its hold--and Davis’s friends start dying. When the Priors refuse to acknowledge the epidemic, Davis has no one to turn to but Cole. Falling in love was never part of their plan, but their love may be the only thing that can save her world...in Avery Hastings's Feuds.

Feuds was on my radar because I am attracted to anything ballet in books or movies. I've never danced, but I am engrossed reading about it. Its so graceful and beautiful and requires such dedication and heart. Along with the dancing, there is also this virus, which is another element that would have drawn me to Feuds and its beautiful cover.

It was a bit slow to set me up and make me like Davis, the female main character. But her dream of dancing and the way that she even daydreams about riding horses makes me like her. Cole, the male main character is a fighter in hardcore underground fights, and besides his toughness, something about him drew me to him. Maybe its his strength or maybe its the sense that he is working so hard and he seems to have something driving him. Also, the way he was concerned about the girl at the party right after he met Davis made me know that he was compassionate.

I liked how they got together, and even though it was under false pretenses going both ways, because of the manipulation of Cole by Parsons, Davis' dad's rival for government. Cole didn't know she was his daughter, and Davis didn't know that Cole wasn't a Prior.

The world set up was pretty easy to grasp. They seem to be in the future quite a bit, and the Priors have plenty of genetic programming to be sick less often, and chose genes so they are stronger and better able to learn and succeed in general. But there are those on the outside, the Gens they call themselves that haven't had the genetic treatments and are on the outside of the living arrangements and they are the workers.

The virus element was interesting too. They don't go into much on how it was created or why they are vulnerable besides saying it was an effect of all of the gene therapy. The Priors were in denial that they were getting sick and they were just throwing out bodies in the Slants, outside where Priors live and also where the Gens fight in the Feuds.

The Feuds, or the fights that Cole participates in played more of a part of his character growth and showing what he is fighting for, his family, rather than just for the sport of it. It was also more of a thread in the story than Davis' dancing. That really didn't play as much of a role as I thought it would, but it may in the future books.

This is a series that I will be continuing, because while I felt like it was a semi-ending, nothing really was wrapped up to my satisfaction, and want to see how things will change for the better in this society.

Bottom Line: Great series beginner with characters I enjoyed.

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Have you ever been interested in dance?

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Sometimes one night can change everything. On this particular night, Wren and her three best friends are attending a black-tie party at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to celebrate the opening of a major exhibit curated by her father. An enormous wind blasts through the city, making everyone feel that something unexpected and perhaps wonderful will happen. And for Wren, that something wonderful is Nolan. With his root-beer-brown Michelangelo eyes, Nolan changes the way Wren’s heart beats. In Isabel Gillies's Starry Night, suddenly everything is different. Nothing makes sense except for this boy. What happens to your life when everything changes, even your heart? How much do you give up? How much do you keep?

I wrote a post about negative reviews, and how I don't review if I don't finish, and a very wise blogger pointed out that knowing what a blogger doesn't like can be valuable to publishers and authors too. I think that it also helps my readers build trust that I am not just slapping good ratings on everything I read. I have a knack for picking what I will lack based on synopsis and reviews, but that even fails. Then another blogger mentioned she did a did not finish post and I thought it was a great idea. So, here we go:

I couldn't connect with Wren because she had a younger voice, and the jumping about in time from current to so many different places. I felt lost and I don't think I met Nolan quick enough. The theme of friendship could have been very well, but I felt a bit like they were an accessory. And if I wouldn't have know from the synopsis that Charlie wasn't the object of the romance I would have been even more disappointed because he is mentioned so many times in the beginning.

That isn't to say that the writing is poor or the characters are poorly constructed, it's personal on my end.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. I also feature books that may have already released, but I am anxiously waiting to read.

The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.

Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence... and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Postcard-perfect Jar Island is the kind of place where nobody locks their doors at night, where parents can sleep easy, knowing their daughters are tucked away safe and sound in their beds.
But bad things can happen, even to good girls . . . and sometimes, the only way to make things right is to do something wrong.
Lillia used to trust boys, but not anymore. Not after what happened this summer. And she’ll do whatever it takes to protect her little sister from the same fate.
Kat is over the rumors, the insults, the cruel jokes made at her expense. It all goes back to one person--her ex-best friend. Someone needs to teach her a lesson, and, with Lillia and Mary behind her, Kat feels up to the task.
Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she’s not the same girl anymore. Now that she’s got friends who have her back, he's going to be in big trouble.
Three very different girls who come together to make things right. Will they go too far?

I wanted to read Burn for Burn from the first time that I saw the cover and the synopsis. Sometimes I am not drawn to the mean girls type of book, but something about this, how you can see the victim and how they've been hurt, almost made me cheer for their revenge plans. and definitely curious to see what happened to hurt each girl that hurt them and left them wanting to hurt or bring someone down.

Each character had things that I liked about them and others that I could see how they were so flawed or that their issues could have been avoided. Mary was called names by the boy who later only talked to her in secret and then things blew up from there. Lillian thinks that something happened to her little sister, and I can def see how the protectiveness and wanting Nadie to not be hurt how she was or in other ways. Kat is the rebel, music lover and I liked her the most I think, but everything that happened with her ex-best friend was hard to read. Being dropped or forced out of the social circle is so hard and this is something that has happened to me before.

Their ideas to get revenge were all over the place from minor pranks to something the girls could get in serious trouble for and leave one of their classmates forever changed. They for a while walked the line of what is okay and not, and they eventually went way over that line. But even when everything awfully came to a head, I was still almost hoping it was a dream or that they could somehow change where they crossed the line. And even though in their taking revenge also put them on the line of bullying others instead of just being the victim.

There was a hint of supernatural thrown in, I think. But I hope it was just a coincidence and that it doesn't go down that road in the next book. It was mentioned twice and I was like really? But maybe with the awesome writing and this ending leaving me in suspense, that the next book will make that thread clear.

Fire with Fire is a book that I for sure want to read, the sequel, because Burn for Burn left me pretty frustrated because one plot line was left wide open, and of course I didn't have the next book to keep reading and see what happened.

Bottom Line: Captivating and great characterization. Eager for the next book.

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Did you ever want to or take out revenge?

Monday, August 25, 2014

Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy.
While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?

I wanted to read Heir of Fire because I really enjoyed the first two and really wanted to know what would happen with Celaena next. I love her with Chaol, but I also liked the scenes with her and Dorian so I am a bit torn there. I miss Nehemiah right along with C and am very wary of her chasing revenge and what that will take her into.

We meet some new characters in this one as well as getting a different look at some old faves. I don't remember the last books being 3rd POV but it works for this one because of how it is tying so many things together. Although we don't stay exclusively with C in this one, I tolerated the other views because it gave me insight into what is going on with Chaol and Dorian while she is off.

Even though I skimmed a recap on Recaptains, I was still a bit lost. There was some really good and naturally incorporated recap in the first part, but I am just a little scatterbrained (okay, you got me, its a LOT) so I have a hard time with recall. It did effect my reading experience a bit for the first 10% or so and then I just kinda forgot or filled in pieces enough to really be immersed into the story. I admit though the witch POV in this one wasn't exactly my thing, but I did come to like her especially when the Abraxos wyvern plot came into play.

Rowan. Wow, Rowan. He infuriated me at first, just as he did Celeana who others call Aelin because of the whopper that was the end of Crown. But as the layers came back some while he was working with her, I came to like him more and more. There was some chemistry at times between them I though and then other times it was more like brother sister bickering but also the connection. So, speaking of this... I think that Dorian is out of the picture based on the ending of last book, and I am totally not sure about her and Chaol because of the ending of Crown again, but as much as she thought of him, I would say that he's still in the running. So it is a love square, or I guess a triangle again, since we're not sure about Rowan if he's more of a bro or possible love interest. I hope that this is solved, but another part is kind of savoring the build up.

A lot happened in this one, throwing more monkey wrenches into the plot but other things are starting to come together. Though I know this is only the third book out of 6 possibly 7, so that would account for some of the moving parts that are setting up instead of giving us revelation or answers just yet.

And holy explosive ending. So much happened, some of which left my mouth dropped to the floor and other that made me want to cheer because of the character growth and how they started to stand up for themselves, or begin to see the light about certain events and their responsibilities. I will be continuing this series and can't wait to read more. Hopefully with a bit more recap next time, lol.

Bottom Line: A bit harder in beginning to get into, but fell for Celeana plus other characters again.

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Could you put loyalties to your own people against those you grow to love?

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews, check it out and sign up here

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

Bought, Borrowed, & Bagged is a weekly meme, hosted by TalkSupe, where I share with you the books I have bought, borrowed, or bagged. Link up with me here.

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Welcome!

I am Brandi Kosiner and this is my personal book blog. I am a 30-something stay-at-home mom to two girls. I love going to Disney, playing video and board games with my husband. I love Young Adult books, with a focus on paranormal romance, fantasy, dystopia and contemporary, especially dealing with illnesses, tough issues such as cutting, eating disorders, issues at home, etc.

Feel free to contact me.with any questions or comments. I love to hear from you!

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I am a personal book blogger. I purchase my books for review, get them from a library, an arc tour, from author or publisher for review, but I am NOT PAID for this service. I do it for the love of books.

I do make some cash from Blogads and Google Adsense, but that money is purely for the ads, not the reviews. Money goes towards upkeep of blog and for giveaways.